Healthy You, Healthy Planet

Kick-start a healthier you for a healthier future

Diets are the major link between our health and environmental impact. Simply put, an unhealthy diet is bad for us and bad for the environment too.

Unhealthy diets and lifestyles are one of the highest risk factors for early death and disease. In areas of rapid urbanisation and increased disposable incomes, unhealthy diets have seen an increase in rates of overweight and obesity and associated diet related conditions (such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers), yet a few simple changes can have a great impact.

Shifting to healthy, more sustainable diets could avoid around 11.6 million deaths a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 25%.

‘A diet rich in plant based foods with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits’

Food and our Planet – A Global Challenge

The amount of food we produce globally each year has roughly kept pace with the rapidly growing world population which is expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050. Yet more than 820 million people don’t have access to enough food and an even higher number have poor quality diets and too many calories.

Whilst global food production systems and their impact on the environment continues to be debated, there are simple steps you can take to improve the health of you and our planet.

Shifting our diets to become mostly plant based with small amounts of meat, fish, eggs and dairy is the best way to achieve a healthy, sustainable balance.

A healthy, balanced diet is better for you and better for the planet. There’s no one food or drink that provides all the goodness and nutrients our bodies need, which is why single foods on their own are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – the key is how we combine them together into a balanced diet.

So what can I do?

Choose More Plants – this doesn’t mean becoming vegan, but enjoying more plant varieties whilst including animal based foods in smaller portions or less frequently are simple steps to shift to more plants.

Waste Less – whether it’s rejigging your left overs, freezing meals in batches or shopping with a list, these simple steps can reduce your food wasted at home or at work

Plant Protein Swaps – try adding more plant sources of proteins to your daily diet – whether it’s grains, seeds, beans, peas, lentils or nuts there’s a wealth of proteins to choose from which are also rich in other helpful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and slow releasing energy.

Keep Hydrated – using your refillable cup, mug or bottle keep hydrated each day. Water is a great choice but weak teas, coffees, diluted fruit drinks and diet soft drinks can all contribute.

Enjoy Treats Occasionally – healthy more sustainable diets doesn’t have to mean going without. You can still enjoy a treat – try choosing smaller portions.

‘Unhealthy diets now pose a greater risk to our health than alcohol, drug and tobacco use combined’

What is a Healthy More Sustainable Diet?

Let's take a look at a healthy more sustainable diet in more detail...

References

Willett, W. Rockstrome, J. (2019) EAT Lancet Commission Summary Report. Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems. Available from: www.thelancet.com/commissions/EAT.
The British Dietetics Association (2018) One Blue Dot. Eating Patterns for Health and Environmental Sustainability: A Reference Guide for Dietitians. Available from: www.bda.uk.com
Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. The Global Burden of Disease Study (2015) Obesity and Overweight Prevalence 1980-2015. Seattle, United States: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), 2017